Folks seemed to enjoy the last look at fewest runs allowed by the St. Louis Cardinals pitchers over three games, so here are the numbers over five through nine games, covering the last fifty years.

Of course, the current run is included, with two runs yielded over the last five games. It is the fourth such streak over the last half-century and ties the best single-season record. Prior to 2009, the most recent stretch was in 1973.

It is not the record however, as the club spun five consecutive shutouts over the end of the 1962 season and into the start of 1963. (Yes, streaks are allowed to run over season boundaries.)

Game

Date

Opponent

StL R

Opp R

StL

Winning pitcher

IP

H

R

ER

BB

SO

39

5/19/2009

vs Chicago Cubs

3

0

W

Piniero

9

3

0

0

0

5

40

5/20/2009

vs Chicago Cubs

2

1

W

Carpenter

5

3

0

0

2

4

41

5/21/2009

vs Chicago Cubs

3

1

W

Wainwright

8 2/3

5

1

1

1

7

42

5/22/2009

vs Kansas City Royals

5

0

W

Wellemeyer

6

4

0

0

3

3

43

5/23/2009

vs Kansas City Royals

5

0

W

Lohse

8

4

0

0

0

6

158

9/26/1973

vs Chicago Cubs

1

0

W

Wise

9

5

0

0

0

6

159

9/27/1973

vs Chicago Cubs

2

0

W

Cleveland

9

1

0

0

0

3

160

9/28/1973

vs Philadelphia Phillies

3

0

W

Segui (RP)

5

2

0

0

3

2

Thompson, M.(SP-ND)

4

0

0

0

4

3

161

9/29/1973

vs Philadelphia Phillies

7

1

W

Gibson

6

5

1

1

3

2

162

9/30/1973

vs Philadelphia Phillies

3

1

W

Wise (RP)

4

0

0

0

1

4

Foster, A. (SP-ND)

4 1/3

4

1

1

2

3

62

6/15/1968

vs Cincinnati Reds

2

0

W

Gibson

9

4

0

0

0

13

63

6/16/1968

vs Cincinnati Reds

4

2

W

Washburn

7 1/3

9

2

2

4

3

64

6/18/1968

vs Chicago Cubs

1

0

W

Briles

9

8

0

0

0

3

65

6/19/1968

vs Chicago Cubs

4

0

W

Carlton

9

1

0

0

0

9

66

6/20/1968

vs Chicago Cubs

1

0

W

Gibson

9

5

0

0

1

6

Over 2 Years

161

9/28/1962

at Los Angeles Dodgers

3

2

W

Jackson, L.

10

9

2

1

2

2

162

9/29/1962

at Los Angeles Dodgers

2

0

W

Broglio

9

2

0

0

3

9

163

9/30/1962

at Los Angeles Dodgers

1

0

W

Simmons

9

5

0

0

1

4

1

4/9/1963

at New York Mets

7

0

W

Broglio

9

2

0

0

2

8

2

4/10/1963

at New York Mets

4

0

W

Washburn

9

4

0

0

1

5

3

4/13/1963

vs Philadelphia Phillies

7

0

W

Simmons

9

5

0

0

2

4

That same 1962-1963 stretch can also be extended to two runs over six games. The current Cards would need another shutout to close the Royals series on Sunday to match that as the lowest opponent scoring six-game stretch over the last 50 years.

As long as we’re looking ahead, here are all the best six-game stretches, with the record low in a single season at five runs. That occurred five times in total, three during a single season, most recently in 1982. Beating that remains possible Sunday.

Game

Date

Opponent

StL R

Opp R

StL

Winning pitcher

IP

H

R

ER

BB

SO

143

9/14/1982

at Philadelphia Phillies

2

0

W

Stuper

7 1/3

4

0

0

3

3

144

9/15/1982

at Philadelphia Phillies

8

0

W

Andujar

9

3

0

0

1

4

146

9/17/1982

at New York Mets

7

1

W

Sutter (RP)

3

0

0

0

0

2

Rasmussen (SP-ND)

7

4

2

2

0

4

145

9/17/1982

at New York Mets

3

2

W

Mura

5 2/3

6

1

1

5

3

147

9/18/1982

at New York Mets

2

0

W

Forsch

7 1/3

5

0

0

3

6

148

9/18/1982

at New York Mets

6

2

W

Lahti (RP)

6

5

1

1

0

6

Kaat (SP-ND)

3

5

1

1

0

1

149

9/19/1982

at New York Mets

3

1

W

Stuper

6 1/3

7

1

1

2

2

150

9/20/1982

vs Philadelphia Phillies

4

1

W

Andujar

6 2/3

7

1

1

3

6

62

6/15/1968

vs Cincinnati Reds

2

0

W

Gibson

9

4

0

0

0

13

63

6/16/1968

vs Cincinnati Reds

4

2

W

Washburn

7 1/3

9

2

2

4

3

64

6/18/1968

vs Chicago Cubs

1

0

W

Briles

9

8

0

0

0

3

65

6/19/1968

vs Chicago Cubs

4

0

W

Carlton

9

1

0

0

0

9

66

6/20/1968

vs Chicago Cubs

1

0

W

Gibson

9

5

0

0

1

6

67

6/21/1968

vs Atlanta Braves

4

3

W

Granger

2

1

0

0

0

0

Jaster (SP-ND)

6 2/3

5

2

1

1

3

68

6/22/1968

vs Atlanta Braves

6

1

W

Washburn

9

7

1

1

0

4

144

9/8/1963

at Pittsburgh Pirates

3

2

W

Broglio

7

8

2

2

1

1

145

9/9/1963

vs Chicago Cubs

6

0

W

Simmons

9

5

0

0

2

3

146

9/10/1963

vs Chicago Cubs

8

0

W

Gibson

9

6

0

0

3

5

147

9/11/1963

vs Chicago Cubs

4

0

W

Sadecki

5 2/3

4

0

0

2

3

148

9/12/1963

vs Chicago Cubs

8

3

W

Broglio

9

8

3

3

0

7

149

9/13/1963

vs Milwaukee Braves

7

0

W

Simmons

9

5

0

0

3

7

150

9/14/1963

vs Milwaukee Braves

3

2

W

Gibson

8

5

2

1

5

7

152

9/15/1963

vs Milwaukee Braves

5

0

W

Burdette

9

6

2

2

0

5

151

9/15/1963

vs Milwaukee Braves

3

2

W

Sadecki

9

5

0

0

4

6

Over 2 Years

158

9/28/1966

vs Los Angeles Dodgers

2

0

W

Jaster

9

4

0

0

2

4

159

9/29/1966

vs Los Angeles Dodgers

1

2

L

Jackson, A.

6

8

2

2

1

1

160

9/30/1966

vs Chicago Cubs

2

0

W

Hughes

9

3

0

0

1

8

161

10/1/1966

vs Chicago Cubs

4

3

W

Gibson

8 1/3

8

3

3

5

5

162

10/2/1966

vs Chicago Cubs

2

0

W

Cosman

9

2

0

0

2

5

1

4/11/1967

vs San Francisco Giants

6

0

W

Gibson

9

5

0

0

0

13

161

9/28/1962

at Los Angeles Dodgers

3

2

W

Jackson, L.

10

9

2

1

2

2

162

9/29/1962

at Los Angeles Dodgers

2

0

W

Broglio

9

2

0

0

3

9

163

9/30/1962

at Los Angeles Dodgers

1

0

W

Simmons

9

5

0

0

1

4

1

4/9/1963

at New York Mets

7

0

W

Broglio

9

2

0

0

2

8

2

4/10/1963

at New York Mets

4

0

W

Washburn

9

4

0

0

1

5

3

4/13/1963

vs Philadelphia Phillies

7

0

W

Simmons

9

5

0

0

2

4

Though it is clearly getting ahead of myself, the above data also covers the best seven-game period at six runs, again last accomplished in 1982. Over eight games, we see a best of seven runs scored in 1982 and for nine games, the 1962 Cards yielded just nine runs.

I won’t make any suggestions or predictions this time other than to note that Sunday’s starter, Joel Pineiro (pictured above), is the man who began the run, so he is quite capable.

Special thanks: Without researcher Tom Orf, I wouldn’t have been able to bring this to you.